FB: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[DPU3619]

Frank,

I was actually going to bring up the Trinity/Rhodes game this afternoon.  There's a lot going on here.  That's one of the only places in this conference that Trinity actually loses.  They aren't playing well right now.  Rhodes hasn't played anybody of any particular merit, and it's still really early, but through two games that offense is doing things they haven't done since Dan Swanstrom was in town.

I'm really looking forward to that one.

[TigerDad]

Nobody involved in Trinity's football program, players, coaches or fans, has such a short memory that they've forgotten their 2007 trip to Rhodes as mentioned by frank and Wes.  Same goes for last year's fateful trip to Centre when defensive mental breakdowns just before halftime cost them a playoff bid.  It was ugly to watch.

Honestly, TU's first game at McMurry this year had similar properties ... yet, the men from San Antonio seemed to get the stops and score when it really counted, despite a young O-line and inexperience elsewhere.   Likewise, TLU is not the bottom-dweller we saw in last year's 24-0 beatdown in San Antonio.  Both teams are much improved and may beat some ASC opponents in 2009.

No doubt that Trinity will have to continue to improve and PDQ in order to win either of their next two games on the "Road Warrior Tour".  IMHO it's no accident that Trinity has one of the most consistent records of success in the past decade of SCAC play.  These guys know how to win and have proved it regularly, though not as dominantly as in the past.

Looking forward to see what Saturday brings in Memphis, then the next week in Jackson.  This will go a long way to show the true measure of the 2009 TU Tigers, for better or worse.

I agree with this week's "Around the South" edition about the SCAC showing remarkable parity in the first two games ... obviously somebody's gonna break out soon.

[scacsports]

AC is featured in Jason Bowen's Around the South column this week.  Good read for those unfamiliar with what Coach Gage has been doing in Sherman the last few years (and those who are, too!).

AC is featured in Jason Bowen's Around the South column this week.  Good read for those unfamiliar with what Coach Gage has been doing in Sherman the last few years (and those who are, too!).

Howdy Gents!  Very exciting time for the SCAC as more teams begin to compete with favorites MC and TU.  As we head into conference play, I see a shake-up ahead with teams like Centre and Austin College getting into the mix. 

After reading Bowen's piece on Coach Gage and the AC run game in Around the South, and after hearing McM Fan's evaluation of Ross Hasten, it is likely AC has the top run game in the conf.  It will be interesting to see if that turns into W's for Coach Gage and the Roos.

So with that in mind as we head into league action, I will begin my first post with an eval of the top RB's in the SCAC.  Enjoy!

-----------------------------Top 5 Running Backs in the SCAC------------------------



1.  Ross Hasten - Austin College - 5'8" 195 lbs. SR - Lewisville, Texas



The senior leads all current SCAC running backs in career yards with 2,221 yds...the two time all SCAC performer has 3,034 all purpose yards in his career and led the SCAC in '08 with 1,411 all purpose yards...20 career tds and 6.0 avg yards per carry for his career

Starting his 33rd consecutive game on Saturday against MC...currently leads conf with 122.0 ypg and 4 tds...needs 990 yds to become AC's all time leading rusher...graduated in May '09 with a 3.45 gpa...currently in grad school

2.  Chris Baer - Trinity - 6'0" 205 lbs. SR - Shiner, Texas



The senior from Shiner has 1,446 career rushing yds coming into '09...an all SCAC performer in '08, Baer had 840 yds on the ground to go with 8 rush tds...also had 24 rec to go with 242 rec yds and 4 rec tds...three year starter was also an all SCAC selection in '07...also a two time All-American in the Javelin event in track and field at Trinity

3.  Walter Arrington - Birmingham-Southern - 5'7" 185 lbs. JR - Hueytown, Alabama



The junior from Alabama tied for the 3rd all SCAC running back spot in '08...rushed for 599 yds and 7 tds in '08...also had 242 rec yds and 857 all purpose yds...in '07 was voted SCAC Freshman of the Year after 43 rec, 491 rec yds, and 3 rec tds...added 146 yds on the ground and 1 rush td in '07

4.  Shane Bowser - Millsaps - 5'10" 200 lbs. SO - Pass Christian, Mississippi



The powerful sophomore RB was voted SCAC Newcomer of the Year in '08...posted 389 rush yds and 6 tds on just 64 touches for a 6.1 yards per carry avg...grabbed 29 rec for 314 rec yds and 5 rec tds...was second on the team in scoring for the Majors and had 733 all purpose yds...also had 12 tkl on special teams

5.  Jonathan Pinque - Centre - 5'11" 190 lbs. SO - Athens, Alabama



The shifty sophomore out of Athens, Alabama tied for the 3rd all SCAC running back spot in '08 after rushing for 620 yds and 11 tds on 137 touches...also had 27 rec, 289 rec yds, and 1 rec td in his '08 debut...lead the team in rushing and was 2nd on the team in receiving...led the SCAC in rush tds in '08

[D3_DPUFan]

scacsports---
Thanks for a very informative post...look forward to more from you. When talking about the top backs in the league, keep an eye on DePauw's Jon Ellis. Was hurt for much of last year, but gained 576 yards in just 7 games, including a 100 yard Monon Bell performance as a FRESHMAN.
Thanks again for the post...

[jekelish]

Very nice post, scacsports.  It'd take a LOT for Ross to break AC's career rushing record, but it'd be one heck of an accomplishment considering the man who owns that career record went on to play for the New York Giants (Aaron Kernek is the player) and was just inducted into the AC Hall of Honor this summer.  Ross is one heck of a runner, though.  The kid is built like a bowling ball (and I mean that in a good way, not in a "rotund" way) so it's no surprise he's able to pile up so many yards.

[Patriot_Pride]

This AC team is different from the previous teams.  Coach Cage's system (in its 4th season) is now at full fruition.

I think that AC will see its strongest effort this Saturday.

I hope you're right. I just can't seem to give Hasten any credit, so I hope he shuts me up this weekend in Sherman. He's rushed for 2,200 yards in his career and 18 TDs, but 1,000 of those yards and 12 TDs were against Sewanee, Colorado College, Birmingham-Southern and Centre. The Colonels are the only one in that bunch progressing as of late, and CC is no more. I want to see him drop 80-100 yards on a good defense, not the worst run defense teams in the league.

Agree to disagree.

[Ralph Turner]

This AC team is different from the previous teams.  Coach Cage's system (in its 4th season) is now at full fruition.

I think that AC will see its strongest effort this Saturday.

I hope you're right. I just can't seem to give Hasten any credit, so I hope he shuts me up this weekend in Sherman. He's rushed for 2,200 yards in his career and 18 TDs, but 1,000 of those yards and 12 TDs were against Sewanee, Colorado College, Birmingham-Southern and Centre. The Colonels are the only one in that bunch progressing as of late, and CC is no more. I want to see him drop 80-100 yards on a good defense, not the worst run defense teams in the league.

Agree to disagree.

Please watch how all of the AC running backs spin with the first solid hit to get an extra 2-3 yards.  They have been coached very well on that manuever.

Hasten is so compact that there are no "handles" on him when you tackle him.

As for yardage against weaker conference foes, Millsaps played them, too.  Not disparaging Millsaps.

I think that Coach Gage's 4th year has made a difference.

[Patriot_Pride]

This AC team is different from the previous teams.  Coach Cage's system (in its 4th season) is now at full fruition.

I think that AC will see its strongest effort this Saturday.

I hope you're right. I just can't seem to give Hasten any credit, so I hope he shuts me up this weekend in Sherman. He's rushed for 2,200 yards in his career and 18 TDs, but 1,000 of those yards and 12 TDs were against Sewanee, Colorado College, Birmingham-Southern and Centre. The Colonels are the only one in that bunch progressing as of late, and CC is no more. I want to see him drop 80-100 yards on a good defense, not the worst run defense teams in the league.

Agree to disagree.

Please watch how all of the AC running backs spin with the first solid hit to get an extra 2-3 yards.  They have been coached very well on that manuever.

Hasten is so compact that there are no "handles" on him when you tackle him.

As for yardage against weaker conference foes, Millsaps played them, too.  Not disparaging Millsaps.

I think that Coach Gage's 4th year has made a difference.

I will have to watch that closely, thanks. Man, all the talk for the 'Roos has me thinking they're ready to bust out. A win Saturday could shake it up.

[Ralph Turner]

I actually think that the "sober" AC talk has kept the Millsaps faithful concentrated that the real season has begun.

Travel safely, all.

[RooBro]

Love to see the Roo' s getting some time on the front page! So how much has the AC offence "jelled"? Lets go to the numbers.

Over the first 5 games last year where they went 2-3, the Roo's averaged 283.4 ypg.
The next 5 they finished 3-2, and averaged 366.4 ypg.

So far over 2 games the AC offence is averaging a blistering 467.5 ypg!

Is it Saturday yet?

[frank_ezelle]

Ralph, I agree with you that all the love being given to Austin College and to Ross Hasten is not making their task any easier this Saturday.  And maybe that's exactly the way the Roo's and Coach Gage want it, making sure that they get the best from Millsaps this Saturday as a means of measuring where they are as a program.

Is this praise for the Roo's too much, too soon?  I don't think so when you consider that Austin College is 6-2 over their last 8 games.  Look back at the 2008 season and you can see why they are getting noticed:

Sep 06, 2008  at  Southwest Assemblies   L   14-16  
Sep 13, 2008    MCMURRY UNIVERSITY   WO  21-14  
*  Sep 20, 2008  at  #22 Millsaps   L   7-41  
*  Sep 27, 2008    CENTRE COLLEGE   L   17-22  
*  Oct 04, 2008  at  Colorado College   W  36-17  
*  Oct 11, 2008    SEWANEE   W  33-22  
Oct 18, 2008  at  Birmingham-Southern   W  48-29  
*  Oct 25, 2008    RHODES COLLEGE   W  17-14  
*  Nov 01, 2008    DEPAUW UNIVERSITY   L   28-31  
*  Nov 15, 2008  at  Trinity (Tex.)   L   14-38  

They split two close games at the beginning of the season and then lost to Millsaps big like a lot of teams lost to Millsaps big last season.  After that, you have to be impressed, even by the three losses.  Look at the Centre College and DePauw games, a 5-point loss and a 3-point loss.  Those teams both finished 5-2 and tied for second in the SCAC last year.  Austin College with one more TD in each of those games would have been a 5-2 team, tied with Trinity for the second place spot.  

Actually, if Austin College had won against Centre and DePauw, they would have gone to Trinity with a 5-1 record and a shot at sole possession of 2nd place in the SCAC.  We know that Trinity, with still a glimmer of hope at getting an NCAA bid, won that game 38-14 against an Austin team that was basically locked into 5th place in the SCAC.  Maybe that game, which was 24-14 at one point in the 3rd quarter, would have been closer if Austin came in at 5-1.

Of course the standings are based on wins and losses, not ifs and maybes.  BUT, Austin College playing at home wasn't much behind Centre and DePauw playing on the road last season.  Austin is playing at home this weekend and Millsaps is taking their first real road trip of the season with some question marks on both sides of the ball:  

---Is the offense capable of the sustained explosions of last year?  
---Is it a reason for concerned that the defense has given up 57 points in two games, a number that wasn't surpassed last year until mid-way through the 6th game?
---Do you worry that Millsaps beat MC 42-6 last year, much like the 41-7 win over Austin, and now MC has a victory over Millsaps this season?

All this being said, I guess most people still consider Millsaps the favorite this week and they should be.  I'm just pointing out the history of the last 12 months to say that an Austin victory would be no more improbable than say, Austin's baseball team winning the SCAC Tournament in 2007 and keeping the Millsaps team out of the NCAA Tournament.  That Millsaps team was every bit as good as the 2006 team that came within one out of the D3 World Series, but they stayed home that year while a 22-23 Austin College baseball team headed out to California for NCAA Tournament play.  

It's something for the 2009 Millsaps football team to keep in mind as they travel to Austin this week.  Millsaps giving less than their best this weekend, especially a Millsaps team with Tigers on their mind instead of Roo's, is a team that could easily be returning to Jackson with a 1-2 record Saturday evening.

[Bill McCabe]

Is AC running the wishbone?

[D3_DPUFan]

Actually, if Austin College had won against Centre and DePauw, they would have gone to Trinity with a 5-1 record and a shot at sole possession of 2nd place in the SCAC.

Yeah. And if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle. 

[frank_ezelle]

Actually, if Austin College had won against Centre and DePauw, they would have gone to Trinity with a 5-1 record and a shot at sole possession of 2nd place in the SCAC.

Yeah. And if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle. 

If your aunt had balls, wouldn't that make her and your uncle a gay couple?  (Not that there's anything wrong with that according to the Jerry Seinfeld episode some of you might remember.)

I think you get my point  that  Austin College wasn't too far behind both DePauw and Centre on the scoreboard last year when Austin was playing at home.  That adds some weight to this talk about Austin being a strong candidate for at least playing a spoiler role in this year's race, and possibly being in the mix for the SCAC title at the end of the season. 

Let's face it, weren't you DePauw fans sweating out the outcome of the game last year in the final minute with Austin closing the gap to 31-28 and getting ready to attempt an on-side kick?

[D3_DPUFan]

If your aunt had balls, wouldn't that make her and your uncle a gay couple?  (Not that there's anything wrong with that according to the Jerry Seinfeld episode some of you might remember.)

I think you get my point  that  Austin College wasn't too far behind both DePauw and Centre on the scoreboard last year when Austin was playing at home.  That adds some weight to this talk about Austin being a strong candidate for at least playing a spoiler role in this year's race, and possibly being in the mix for the SCAC title at the end of the season. 

Let's face it, weren't you DePauw fans sweating out the outcome of the game last year in the final minute with Austin closing the gap to 31-28 and getting ready to attempt an on-side kick? 

Just having a little fun...Actually, I was touting AC before it became fashionable on this site. I was impressed by the Roos last year on our trip to Sherman and I would be surprised if they don't play some sort of role in determining the league champion this year.